It’s crunch time still. Last week’s result was an overwhelming boost of confidence to the squad and let’s hope it carries them through till the end of the campionato. The game here is a tricky road test (as always) for Palermo but really does nothing for Siena. They’re essentially safe from any relegation talk and they have nothing else to play for. Nonetheless, Palermo would be wise not to underestimate any team when they play on the road.

After Udinese took it to Lazio today, they also enter into the mix for the final Europa spot. On a side note, CAN SOMEONE WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION BRING UP D’AGOSTINO’S NAME PLEASE!? I mean, is there a more obvious choice for Liverani’s eventual replacement then the Palermo native?!? Man, is that frustrating. He needs to be on the list as a potential transfer target. End of story.

The gameplan is pretty simple. WIN. No need to focus really on any other teams at this point as we, in essence, hold the key to our destiny. Let Rioma implode and figure out who will buy them, who they will buy, who they will sell, who they love one day and who they hate the next. And then watch all those things change after 2 days.

Onto the squads…

Squad Status

Palermo

CLAMOROSO!!!!!! Yeah, here I was thinking that everything was looking nice. It seemed as if the squad would be at full strength minus the usual suspects…namely, the Aussie and Mr. Ayo for Yayo. Then, a quick visit to mediagol reveals the headline: “EMERGENZA DIFESA
Palermo a Siena senza Kjaer e Balzaretti” Great. Balzaretti is sick with a fever and Kjaer has been having muscle problems in his calf it appears. So it looks like we’ll be seeing Miggy holding down the role. And a Savini sighting.Madonna…

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Migliaccio, Bovo, Savini; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Cossentino, Morganella, Kjaer, Tedesco, Guana, Succi, Mchelidze, Hernandez

Siena

Right. It’s Siena. Oh, Kharja had a cracker last week though. Earlier this week, Zuniga was listed as potential transfer target for Palermo. And we all love the hometown boy too. However, did anyone else see another hometown boy replicate the archer celebration today?! (D’Agostino!).

Probable Lineup: Curci; Zuniga, Brandao, Portanova, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Codrea, Galloppa; Kharja; Maccarone, Calaiò

A Disposizione:
Ivanov, Ficagna, Del Grosso, Coppola, Jarolim, Amoruso, Frick

Categorical Matchup

Rioma Transfer Target 1 vs. Rioma Transfer Target 2: Palermo. Amelia > Curci

ZOMG WHAT HAPPENED?! vs. Z Factor: Siena. I haven’t seen this many question marks in defense since I saw the Riddler on Batman the Animated Series.

Full Strength vs. Not Enough: Palermo. The midfield is at full strength for the first time in recent memory. That’s enough to tip the scales in their favor right there.

Record Breakers vs. Boring Palermo. Miccoli and Cavani are nearing the Palermo Serie A record for most goals by a duo with 25 to date. They’re after the ‘04-’05 version of Toni-Brienza who dropped 30. Ah, yes…memories.

Final Analysis

Win one for the Gipper! (Considering that Ballardini won’t be watching this one from the bench as he’s serving out his 1 game suspension for being awesome)

Form Guide

Palermo
WDWLW

Siena
WWLLW

Prediction
2-1. Maccarone, Cavani, Miccoli.

MOTM:

Miccoli

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 15.00
Stadio La Favorità, Palermo

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Derby delle Isole. Liverani is calling it the game of the year and in many ways he is correct. This is the game that will determine how we finish out our season. Will we be competing for the final Europa spot? Anything short of three points here at home says most likely no.

Jeremy over at the Cagliari Offside already has a good preview up for the game. Head over there for a more in-depth look at the squad. Yet, some things are worth mentioning again. Cagliari’s season has been nothing short of spectacular this year. If you were to go back to the beginning of the season, many “experts” picked them to head down to B – with little reinforcements coming into the team that just survived last year’s axe. The first five games certainly looked to back that prediction up quite well. However, the Sardinians turned in great results at a torrid pace – quickly moving themselves up the table and into the position they are today. Massimiliano Allegri is certainly worthy of a mention for Coach of the Year as he has his side playing some brilliant and skilled calcio. Their season is already a success, yet, they are out for more than just safety.

Palermo tifosi need no reminder of the last time these two squared up. Sadly, Jeremy is spot on when he observes Palermo’s addiction to self-destruct when a game-changing call goes against them is worse than Ronaldo’s addiction to trannys. Nonetheless, Ballardini has some extra incentive once again to try and beat the team he saved last season. In doing so, he could pretty much end their dreams of European glory.

Squad Status

Palermo

Well, we all know that Palermo is feelin’ the Cocaine Blues right now. No Moris the Barbarian…his absence hurts us even more so after Bovo picked up a suspension for some ticky-tack fouls last week. That leaves the backline looking pretty shaky. All signs point to a Kjaer-Savini partnership. Just be glad the Great Dane is around because a Miggy-Savini duo would’ve been a recipe for rotten hummus and spoiled chutney. It seems as if Emo’tino will be on the bench but not at 100%. Other than that, Amelia is banged up but the rest of the squad minus the Wizard of Oz should be good to go.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Savini, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino; Simplicio; Miccoli, Cavani

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Cossentino, Tedesco, Guana, Succi, Mchelidze, Hernandez

Cagliari

Unfortunately, Cagliari seems to be at full strength for the most part. Therefore, they’ll have an edge from a Starting XI point of view – even if they are away at the Barbera. How much of an advantage that is in front of our tifosi, however, is the question.

Probable Lineup:
Marchetti; Pisano, Bianco, Canini, Agostini; Biondini, Conti, Fini; Cossu; Jeda, Acquafresca

A Disposizione
Lupatelli, Matheu, Astori, Lazzari, Parola, Mancosu, Matri

Categorical Matchup

Established as Good vs. Surprisingly Good: Push. Marco is still recovering from shoulder woes. Marchetti has been one of the most important reasons for Cagliari’s success. He is as solid as they come between the sticks and he should be heavily linked with clubs looking for a solid GK during the upcoming mercato.

The Odd Couple vs. Caca Pants Returns!: Push. Cassani? Yes. Kjaer? Yes. Balzaretti? Yes. Savini? Yikes. He’s a nice guy…just doesn’t provide the kind of reassuring calm we need at the back – even if he IS in his old position at CB.

Ali Baba & Co. vs. The Unknowns: Push. The key to both of these teams rely in the midfield. Cagliari has gotten solid play out of their mids which has taken some pressure off their attack. Meanwhile, Palermo suffers from schizophrenia. One week, Jekyll; the next, Hyde.

Eyebrows & Frankenstein vs. Freshwater: Palermo. Cavani scores at home. That’s just how it is. Perhaps, the tifosi give him that extra gear to put the finishing boots on, but whatever it is, it’s working. Speaking of work, Miccoli needs to do some more of that on the pitch, rather than walking around half the time, pulling a toenail and then exiting the game.

Final Analysis

This is it. The picture to our season will be alot clearer after Sunday. Both teams match up remarkably well, so it’ll come down to who wants it more. And that might make us all a little nervous, eh?

Form Guide

Palermo
LWDWL

Cagliari
WWLWD

Prediction
2-1. Cavani, Miccoli, Jeda.

Cori!

One of my favorite chants from the Ultras:

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

I warriors, brigate rosanero, siamo forti e vinceremo!

Preview

Palermo is taking on the other team from Verona this weekend. Both teams are coming off of big wins with Chievo surprisingly beating a lackluster Lazio side, 3-0. The win helped lift the lesser known Verona team out of the relegation zone…for the time being. Another crazy note is that Chievo have only lost once in 2009 – which is definitely noteworthy. Nonetheless, Palermo will be traveling to the Bentegodi to try and continue their form from the last two weeks as well as continue their rise in the standings toward a spot in Europe. Palermo face another test on the road against a lesser opponent, but this team hasn’t exactly provided the consistency we’ve looked for especially in winnable games. Let’s hope Palermo brings the same determination they’ve brought the past two rounds.

Squad Status

Palermo

Ballardini will be without one key player and three stooges. Miccoli is out due to yellow card accumulation. Meanwhile, the Tin Man Igor Budan will be missing his 1,325,359th game in a row, Bobby Goblin is still trying to find a new shoulder blade and the Aussie is trying to find some courage still having back problems. Miggy will probably start in Bresciano’s place. The big question mark is who will start along side Cavani? I’m afraid to say that I believe Ballardini is leaning towards starting Succi. He must feel obligated since the guy just had a mini-Succi. That’s unfortunate. But it also has to do with the fact tha Sneeze felt some pain in his calf the past couple days in training. We’re banking on Cavani again!

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Carrozzieri, Bovo, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino, Simplicio; Cavani, Succi

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Kjaer, Morganella, Savini, Nonno, Abel Hernandez, Mchedlidze

Chievo

The good news is Chievo has a blog. The bad news is that it is a tad frivolous at best. There’s only one player who poses a constant threat on the team and that would be their marksman Pellissier. Other than him, the team is pretty much built for B – but that’s not really a slight at the team, it’s just a fact due to their recent promotion. Nonetheless, Palermo needs to be attentive.

Probable Lineup:
Sorrentino; Frey, Morero, Yepes, Mantovani; Luciano, Rigoni, Marcolini, Pinzi; Pellissier, Bogdani

A Disposizione:
Squizzi, Scardina, Sardo, Italiano, Colucci, Langella, Esposito

Categorical Matchup

Italy #2 vs. Italy #200: Palermo.

Four Horsemen vs. Four Jackasses: Palermo. The rosanero are at full strength in the back with Moris the Beast returning. That means a strong player starts on the bench – although don’t rule out a Kjaer appearance if Palermo need to protect a lead late in the game.

Heart & Determination vs. Pasta Noodles: Palermo. I can’t be the only one who thinks that Chievo’s midfielders all sound like various types of pasta noodles can I? I kid! Nonetheless, Palermo’s midfield might be stronger without a heartless Bresciano on the flanks, replaced by Migliaccio.

Baby-Makers vs. One-Man Show: Push. Anytime Succi finds his way into the lineup – even if it means he has to have a kid in order to find a spot in the Starting XI – is a time to start worrying about our attacking options.

Final Analysis

Nothing really to say here other than Palermo needs to find a way to win again. On the road. And without Miccoli. Wow, does this sound familiar to you guys at all? It should.

Form Guide

Palermo
DLLWW

Chievo
DLWDW

Prediction
2-1. Pellissier, Succi, Succi. SIKE!

Remembering the Good Times

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

That picture pretty much sums up the afternoon for the rosanero last weekend. A lot of hugging, celebrating and even crying (I’m looking at you Eyebrows…). 5 times in fact. It was a great win against a lesser opponent. Three points in the bag and now onto Chievo.

A total recap isn’t necessary. We played motivated for pretty much the whole 90 minutes – besides two defensive lapses. Cavani stepped up big – he must’ve seen his tribute video.

Highlights

News Roundup

The wise sage Fabio Liverani gave some thoughts about the team today. One of the great values of the team is that they are a very close-knit group. In fact, according to our Magic Carpet Man, nobody wants to leave the society as they are all happy where they’re at. However, on the downside, Fabio thinks that the squad could do better to concetrate more on training during the week.

Our Bat-Boy/Frankenstein lovechild Cavani was recently linked with Fiorentina. Um, I doubt we will see Palermo make another mistake like that, so I would sweep aside that rumor. Cavani’s agent confirmed it as such by saying Edy is staying at Palermo for as long as Palermo wants to keep him. He’s doing excellent at Palermo and has no desire to leave the rosanero. Good news to hear. The kid is only getting better. If anyone wants to make comparisons, ask Ricci about his take on Cavani in comparison to a certain Torres.

Speaking of agents, Simplicio’s moneymaker will be on hand to watch Fabio take the field against the other team from Verona. Talks about a contract renewal are still in the initial stages but Rinaldi has stated that Fozzy’s desire is to certainly stay with Palermo and wants to stay in rosanero for a long time. Attachment to the shirt? That’s a good quality.

Palermo VP Miccichè gives his take on the season so far. According to him, the season has been around a 6.5 – 7. Last year, we finished the campionato on 47 points. Here we are 10 games away from the end of the season sitting on 42 points. More importantly, the team has found a style of play under Ballardini.

The biggest step so far in pursuit of the new stadium happened earlier in the week when Zamparini bought Fondo Raffo. It’s the first significant move towards construction to date. Details of the deal can be found here. Zamparini bought the land for around 11 million euros.

Is Sabatini doing something productive? Doubtful. But he is in Argentina at the moment observing a couple matches and two or three players in particular for Lanus: Eduardo Salvio (fantasista, 19 years old), Valeri (CM, 23 years old) and Quintana (CB, 21 years old). I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you though. We all know Sabatini has about as much motivation as Lindsey Lohan in rehab.

Finally, with Miccoli out for this weekend’s game, the question is who will be paired up with Cavani? Currently, it looks like it’ll be either Succi or Sneeze. That’s right, Mchedlidze is back! Here’s to hoping he gets the start. Succi was out last week due to his wife giving birth to a mini-Succi. Ballardini has a tough decision to make…or not.

Video of the Week

Another gem of a “music” video, this time dedicated to Eyebrows himself, Fabrizio Miccoli. Once again, the vocals will leave you breathless. Definitely a song worth downloading to your iTunes…haha.

I’ll try to have a review up on Saturday morning/afternoon. Thanks ragazzi…and always…

FORZA PALERMO!

Preview

Well, here we are again in a similar situation that we’ve already been in about 3,464,342 times this season. The past two games have been dramatically different and both have been definitely unexpected. Palermo come into this game at home against our “cousins” from Lecce. Right now, the club has experienced some strange times – including Zamparini talking like a sane man – but then again, it could just be the medication he’s on. At least he’s not making the same wreckless statements that he’s known for, although he seems to have passed those duties onto Nonno. The boys in pink have A LOT to do in this game in order to win back the tifosi (and rightfully so).

The time is now to start winning games against teams that deserve to be beaten – especially in front of our own tifosi. I am more than confident that if our boys don’t come out with grit and determination, the tifosi will let them hear it. All I can say is that this team has provided more head-scratching moments than Paula Abdul on American Idol. There’s nothing more to say other than Palermo MUST win tomorrow, especially given our opponents current condition. End of story.

So, Lecce. Pretty bad season so far, but that’s to be expected from a freshly promoted side. They sit in 2nd to last from the drop on only 23 points. The abysmal performances have led to Mario Beretta being sacked last week after a stale 0-0 draw against fellow relegated relegation and last place side Reggina. With that said, Gigi De Canio will be in charge of his first game as the new Lecce coach against the rosanero.

Squad Status

Palermo

Ballardini has called up 19 players to face Lecce. Those missing out on the draw are the Aussie, Igor Boo-Boo, Moris the Barbarian, Bobby Goblin and of course, Fontana. Although there has been a lot of speculation coming out of the Palermo camp about a trident of Cavani, Miccoli and Hernandez in training, you’d have to think that Davide will stick to his usual lineup of 4-3-1-2. Good news is that Sneeze is finally back and will be on the bench.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Morganella, Savini, Nonno, Abel Hernandez, Succi, Sneeze

Lecce

Normally, here’s where I’d send you over to the Lecce page, but considering the erratic nature of the blog over there, I think I might just try to handle this myself. I mean, anybody remember Saint Antonio or this other gem? Oh well, no worries.

As mentioned before, Lecce is pretty poor. They don’t have much going for them other than Bikerman Caserta. Furthermore, they’ll be missing some “key” players for the match. Obviously, when you’re a relegation suspect, a “key” player most likely means a guy who can dribble and shoot with both feet. I kid, I kid! Out for sure are Daniele Cacia, Giacomazzi (remember him?) Ariatti and Esposito (not Mauro, the other one). Those in doubt seem to be Konan and Stendardo. It seems as though De Canio is leaning towards a 3-5-2 but one can’t be certain for sure. That said, here’s my Gazzetta’s lineup for them.

Probable Lineup:
Rosati; Stendardo, Fabiano, Schiavi; Antunes, Ardito, Zanchetta, Caserta, Munari; Tiribocchi, Castillo

A Disposizione
Benussi, Polenghi, Giuliatto, Basta, Edinho, Vives, Papadopoulos

Categorical Matchup

Marky Mark vs. Meh: Palermo. Marco has to redeem himself in front of the fans, but there’s no doubt he is a better all-around keeper than Rosati…even with one arm.

Pretty Boys vs. Pretty Awful: Palermo. Even without the ogre Moris, we still have a dominant edge at home with Kjaer and Bovo partnering up. Lecce’s defense has let up the third most goals in the league (41).

Aladdin & the Muppets vs. The Bikerman Gang: Palermo. The midfield had a good game last week with even Bobby Goblin playing well (note: sign of the apocalypse)! Lecce has a loaded midfield led by the ex-rosanero Caserta, but Palermo should have an edge in this category especially with Nocerino and Miggy providing appropriate cover on the flanks. It’s a bit defensive, but then again, it’s not like we have Lanzafame or Jankovic to come off the bench for some offensive push now eh?

Fast & Ugly vs. Toothless Attack: Palermo. All you need to know is this: Lecce haven’t scored in over 486 minutes of calcio.

Final Analysis
Miccoli will be facing his beloved hometown club tomorrow. I don’t see much motivation to score from him, but the rest of the team should be just fine. Then again, considering performances, Miccoli might want to put in some effort tomorrow otherwise he might be sold to Lecce at the end of the season and just in time for Serie B. This is the final push. Regardless of the past, we got to have the boys look forward and play every game like a playoff. Remember, the categorical matchups all point to a win for us, yet this team is maddeningly inconsistent. It’s time to change that and it starts with bringing a solid 3 points tomorrow.

Form Guide

Palermo
WDLLW

Lecce
LLLLD

Prediction
2-0. Cavani, Simplicio

Cavani!

If any of you have heard the song Novembre by Giusy Ferreri, you’ll enjoy this little tribute to Cavani based off the same tune (minus the guy who sounds like he has a cold).

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Roma – Palermo

Overview:

It might have been those funky smellin’ sausages at dinner last night, but I’d rather think it was the game that made me use two rolls of TP last night. It’s been a long time since I a) saw such an ugly game, and b) got so pissed off at one of our players that I wanted to kick his face in trough the TV. I just don’t Ballardini sometimes. Hasn’t Guana disappointed him enough? I don’t know how many chances this humongous waste of flesh is gonna get from Balla.

Overall, I wasn’t too unhappy with the way we played and with the result. It’s not from these big budget underperformers that we have to take points. It’s from teams like Genoa and Napoli that we need to. Were there chances to win? Absolutely. Were there chances to get beaten 5-1? Absolutely. In the end, this game will (hopefully, but not likely) show the team that they need to step up once more and that we still have a long way to go before we can battle the likes of Levski Sofia, Lokomotiv Plovdiv and AA Gent.

Pagelle:

AMELIA: 6. Should’ve done better at the 2-1, was beaten by Carroz’ on the first.
CASSANI: 6.5. Plays great every week without being a match changer.
CARROZZIERI: 7. Unlucky when Roma made the 1-0, but manages to get every ball out of his area. The Wall.
BOVO: 6.5. Did well once more, but needs to get just that little better to be unmissable. Should fear Kjaer.
SAVINI: 5.5. Isn’t Balza, and isn’t Crapuano. Good defender, lousy attacker.
MIGLIACCIO: 6. Miggs = pure heart. Too bad Ginger Spice kicked him off.
NOCERINO: 6.5. One of his best games so far. True warrior.
LIVERANI: 6.5. Is in no way the same player as in the beginning of the season. Another fantastic assist. Seems like he’s playing for the shirt these days.
GUANA: Va scassaci la minchia, pezzo di merda.
BRESCIANO: 6. Not La Statua.
SIMPLICIO: 6. Not the Simplicio we’re used to.
SUCCI: 5. Came in, sucked away. As usual.
CAVANI: 7. Well-deserved goal, MOTM once more.
LEVAN: 7. Unbelievable that this kid doesn’t get more PT. Came in and caused danger. He’s a keeper.

Giornata 21’s Androberto Guarraciolo Award:

Midfield Minchia.

Highlights:

Fuck it. There weren’t any.

The Randomness.

And yes, there’s other news too. First of all there’s Marco Amelia. You know him, because when he was at Livorno he once said that it would hurt him to see Roma lose against Livorno. Well, last night, Marco said that it felt fantastic to see ‘the good Roma’ back in action. And that ain’t words to say if you’re playing for Palermo.

Added to that is the rumour that Manchester City would be after Mercenary Marco. Dubai FC is said to have made a 15 million euro bid, but Zampa said no. If a + 25 million offer was to come in, I hope Zampa goes for the cash.

And then there’s transfers…we’re still after Bogliaccino, and a deal is expected. But the big news seems to be the fact that we might field a full Uruguayan attack soon. Some sites like Mediagol already confrim Abel Hernandez’ arrival from Penarol for 5 million, others like Tuttomercatoweb say that it’s close. Still, signing an extra striker would be good to backup Miccoli and send Succi to the gulag.

And last but not least: Basel’s youngster Michel Morganella is said to sign a deal today in exchange for 4 million euro. Seems like we might send Guana along with Succi.

Preview

Well, do I need to explain what happened last week? No. In fact, I think somebody, ANYBODY owes US an explanation for the highway robbery that took place in Cagliari. You would’ve thought that Ray Charles was reffing the game with his assistant Stevie Wonder. If that were the case, then they’d have an excuse. Nonetheless, the loss at Cagliari was just another series of “misfortunate” events for Palermo this year. Of course, the powers that be claim there is no problem. Others say that these things even out over the course of a season. Yet, the likelihood of us making up even half of the points we lost as a result of the officiating is about as realistic as Liverani beating Usain Bolt in a 100 meter dash.

Palermo has reached the breaking point. The president, the team and the city as a whole are fed up with this atrocity called “officiating”. In fact, the fans are standing behind Zamparini’s impassioned assault on the talking heads who are making the decisions. The tifosi have made shirts that say “Io sto con Zamparini” to express their solidarity behind the President and club.

So, with all that, Palermo returns back home to the fiery atmosphere of the Barbera. I suspect the fans will be louder than ever as the rosanero try to bag a full 3 points away from another team with unique unoriginal jerseys. The question is, how will the squad respond to last week’s events?

Siena has been fantastic and unbeaten at home. However, on the road, it’s a different story: 1 win, 1 draw and 6 losses. The goal for Siena this year has to been avoid relegation; their surprising results really don’t change that goal – it just merely gives them some breathing room that they haven’t had in years past. Therefore, Palermo need to take the full three points…for a number of reasons: 1) We’re still only 3 points out of Europe; 2) we need to keep up with the pack; 3) we need to get over the unjust defeat from a week ago; 4) we need to produce results against the lesser sides of Serie A; and 5) IT’S SIENA: The bianconero that doesn’t command respect much like Roma isn’t one of the “bigs” in Serie A.

Squad Status

Palermo

From what I can tell (the “convocati” have not been named yet), Palermo will only be missing our main man “Eyebrows” Miccoli (Budan doesn’t count). And the word “only” is obviously intended sarcasm. After the match against Cagliari, Miccoli said some things that hurt the ref Banti’s feelings. Banti didn’t like it very much and forgot about the old adage that Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. So, of course, we found out several days later that Miccoli was banned for not one, but TWO games for talking. I’m sure Vieri has said worse things to a dirty, 53 year old hooker that received a softer penalty. Just add that to the growing list of absurdities towards our club. So, who will be pairing up with Cavani up front? Furthermore, will Lanzafame see more than 3 minutes and 21 seconds on the pitch?

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Carrozzieri, Bovo, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano, Simplicio; Cavani, Succi (?)

Siena

I believe Matthew of La Robur could have a preview up in time for the game. Basically, all I can say is “Calaiò”…because he’s our boy from Palermo. He’s not starting…but considering their options in attack are about as initimidating as a 12 year old boy just hitting puberty, they might as well give Emanuele an opportunity to start.

Probable Lineup:
Curci; Zuniga, Rossettini, Portanova, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Coppola, Galloppa; Kharja; Ghezzal, Maccarone

Categorical Matchup

Playstation vs. Roman Waste: Palermo. The Roman by-product couldn’t even unseat Doni! That should tell you enough right there. However, he did make some impressive saves last week to keep the Napoli scoreline seem closer than the game actually was. Meanwhile, Amelia is finally coming around.

Braveheart & Bovo vs. Who?: Palermo. Siena has given up 12 goals away from home. They have a great defense by statistical standards, but then again, much of that is due to their success at home. Guess what? We’re playing IN Palermo! Expect Moris & Co. to feast on the toothless Siena attack…unless, of course, some sort of penalty is magically awarded as seems to be custom against Palermo these days.

Fozzy, 2 & a Magic Carpet Ride vs. ‘Ola, ‘Ola, ‘Oppa!: Palermo. Once more, Palermo’s midfield is at full strength. Yes, we have Liverani…who statistically passes the ball often and on-target but we all know stats don’t tell the whole story. Siena’s midfield is as exciting as taking a Physics exam.

No Eyebrows! vs. Impotence & Arab Virgins: Push. We don’t have Miccoli running around wreaking havoc and firing laser beams on goal. We have Cavani running around…alot…and working hard…but not reaping the benefits as consistently as we’d like. Luckily, Siena’s attack could use a subscription to Cialis. They just can’t seem to get it up…I mean, in the back of the net. It’ll be interesting to see who gets on the scoresheet.

Final Analysis

This game is basically a must win. Points at home are vital. While only one point separates us from Siena, we’re also within striking distance of Europe. All we need to do is find a goal from somewhere and someone. Siena should not be causing that many problems for our defence. Palermo should take comfort in the fact that they’re at home – even without the magic of Miccoli, three points should not be out of the question.

Form Guide

Palermo
LLDWL

Siena
LDLWL

Prediction
1-0. Moris.

MOTM:

Moris Carrozzieri

Remembering the Good Times

FORZA PALERMO!

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

You know…sometimes pictures say more than a thousand words…

Counting with Fabriz’: “Thies ies 1.”

“Ref, it’s for you. Mister Blackwell on the phone, he doesn’t like the matching colors.”

Jan-culo-vski: “If it’s got long hair, it’s a girl.”

“Marek, why are you cheating on me?”

“See that ugly motherfucker? He tried to touch my ass…”

“I love you guys!”

What I Liked:

Marco Amelia. The transformation of the Horny Housewife is unbelievable. From a guy with zero self esteem, to football hero in three games.

The return of the real Marco Bresciano. This is why we bought him, this is why he still gets playing time and this is why my 2006 Bresciano-shirt hasn’t been torched yet.

Antonio Nocerino and Edison Cavani, because they finally showed their real powers.

Fabrizio Miccoli, for being Fabrizio Miccoli.

And last but not least, the entire backline. But especially Moris. Cassani was awesome, Balzaretti was an extra attacker and Bovo kept it thighter than a 13-year old’s ass, but Moris is a real Palermo-hero. Moris Carrozzieri, per sempre uno di noi!

What I Didn’t Like:

Substitutions in the 85th minute when you’re already 3-1 up.

Pagelle:

Amelia 8: One hell of a match. Stopped an imaginary penalty, and was only beaten by a second imaginary penalty.
Cassani 7: Great performance, caused danger when he moved upfront. Slowed down a little in the second half.
Carrozzieri 8: I think we have found the new Eugenio Corini. I really do.
Bovo 6: Did well, but looked a little slow.
Balzaretti 7: Same as Cassani. +0.5 for his assist on the 3-0.
Nocerino 7: Finally a good Noce-game. Still not Gattuso, but who cares?
Liverani 6,5: Nice assist, bu he’s so unbelievably slow…
Bresciano 7: Great game, even with a flu on his body.
Simplicio 7: Caused danger from the start, easy but merited goal.
Guana: senza capelli
Cavani 7: Finally the real Cavani…
Succi: senza vota
Miccoli 8: Fantastic game. Another Palermo hero.
Kjaer: senza vota

All. Ballardini 7,5: Finally showed what he can do when his team is fully fit.

Facts:

Palermo: Amelia; Cassani, Carrozieri, Bovo, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano; Simplicio (Guana 91), Miccoli (Kjaer 87), Cavani (Succi 92)

Milan: Abbiati;Zambrotta, Bonera, Maldini, Jankulovski; Flamini (Emerson 57), Pirlo, Ambrosini (Shevchenko 57); Seedorf, Ronaldinho, Pato (Inzaghi 29)

Ref: Rocchi

Missed penalty: Ronaldinho 27 (M)

Giornata 13’s Androberto Guarraciolo Award:

Rolandinho. Dude, really, two dives? Fuck off!

Highlights:

It’s pretty difficult to say anything about yesterday’s match, because it’s hard to say something if you have already said it all after the Torino and Lecce-games. I think Davide Ballardini’s quote says a lot:

It just wasn’t us in the first half.

No, really? Going 1-0 down to Bologna, the second worst team in Serie A, is a disgrace. Keeping the scoreline that way would’ve been a humiliation. Luckily, in the end we could rely on our superstar from Ravenna. After 10 shots that can only go down as terrible misses, Succi finally equalized. Good for us, and I’ll grand him the honour of not tearing him to shreds once more. But we all have to realize that bringing in Succi and Cavani was a decision made by fear. Losing Bologna would have made Ballardini’s job a living hell with Zamparini on his way to Palermo. So what he did was take out a midfielder (the sketchy Migliaccio) and a striker that hadn’t touched a single ball all game (Budan, or maybe his handicapped, untalented brother) and replace them with two strikers that are also yet to prove themselves. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a fine example of panic on the bench.

It was hard to draw conclusions right after the game as we didn’t get a good broadcast, but I saw the game in replay afterwards. So here are my two cents.

What I Liked:

Everything, and I do mean everything, goes trough Miccoli. He works his ass off (and complains a lot), and without him we would even be further down the table.

Marco finally showed his talents. He looked like a soccer mom (thanks for making my day, Kat), but luckily he landed on the same amount of balls than your average soccer mom.

Moris is Palermo. He plays fantastic, breathes a natural cool and he’s becoming the absolute leader of this team and te favourite of the fans.

What I Didn’t Like:

Ciro Capuano. We all knew he wasn’t worth his place on the team, the critics knew it, and I sure hope Ballardini now knows it too.

Igor Budan. Dude, really? What was that?

Lanza’s five minutes. Nobody can develop into a good player with only five minutes a week.

Pagelle:

Amelia 6,5: Surprised on the goal, did fantastic for the rest.
Cassani 6,5: Went down with the rest in the first half, showed his real identity later on in the game.
Kjaer 5,5: Did well, but had a lot of problems with the experienced Di Vaio
Carrozzieri 7: Big man on Campus.
Capuano 2: Great assist on the Bologna-goal. Should be a) shot, b) given away free as practice doll for young camorristi or c) assraped and skullfucked by Moris, Mr. T and the tubby dude in the NY Giants defensive line.
Lanzafame s.v.
Migliaccio 5: Not good.
Cavani 6: Did well, but needs to learn how to score goals.
Liverani 6: Did surprisingly mediocre, but is too old. And to ugly.
Nocerino 5.: Was lucky that Budan and Capuano were worse, otherwise would’ve been today’s Androberto.
Simplicio 5,5: Not his usual self.
Budan 4: That’s what you get for giving him a starting spot…
Succi 6,5: One disallowed goal and one allowed. Still hate him, but he deserves the 6.5 as game winner.
Miccoli 6,5: Constant danger, the true leader of the team.
All. Ballardini 6: Put out the big bluff during half time, but it worked. -0.5 for fielding Capuano.

Facts:

Bologna – Palermo : 1-1
20’ Di Vaio 1-0
93’ Succi 1-1

Bologna: Antonioli; Zenoni, Terzi, Moras (Britos 64), Lanna; Mingazzini, Mudingayi; Marchini (Rodriguez 77), Valiani, Bombardini (Cesar 46); Di Vaio

Palermo: Amelia; Cassani, Carrozzieri, Kjaer, Capuano (Lanzafame 87), Nocerino, Liverani, Migliaccio (Succi 46); Simplicio; Budan (Cavani 46), Miccoli

Ref: Russo

Giornata 13’s Androberto Guarraciolo Award:

ShitPants. What a way to put an end to your career in Serie A.

Extra comments:

Get.
Ciccio.
Back.
NOW!

Highlights:

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008 15.00
Stadio Renato dall’ Ara, Bologna

Palermo Boys, we are here. We beat your women and drink their beer, Palermo Boys, we are here.

Preview

Zero out of six in our last two games, and now we’re heading to Spaghettitown. And if there ever was a must-win game, then this is it. Bologna is (apart from Chievo and Roma) without a doubt the worst team in Serie A, and the coming of Sinisa may not help them a lot. In their last two games (the ones under Mihajlovic), they drew twice, almost doubling their total. Still, this is a team that is bound to go back down. And I don’t mean ‘bound to go down’ like Reggina and Cagliari were last year, but ‘bound to go down’ like Treviso and Ascoli were. The difference between those two and Bologna being that there is actually is talent playing under the Two Towers, like Mundigayi or Di Vaio.

Anywho, losing this game is unacceptable. (how many times have you heard me saying this in the last two months?) The team must have learned from the Torino-debacle, and I sure hope Balla did too. As I have stated before, Palermo is a team that’s better against big teams than against small ones. Compare the Roma-Juve-Inter games to the Torino-Chievo-Lecce games, and you will agree with me.

Furthermore, there is not a single excuse that could let these guys off the hook when they screw up. If they could just play 4-5 good games in a row, and if the lazy fokkers in the line-up could finally see that it is an honor to wear the rosanero…

Squad Status

Palermo

Aah, my favourite part of preview-Wednesday. Or not. I hate predicting the same line-up week in, week out. Why? Because most of that line-up is fucked up. I hope that there one day will come a time when I received an email from bigpapapalermo@libero.it, saying that I’m granted a chance to take over the team for a month. But until that happens, I’ll have to use The Offside as my forum.

Butterfingers is ready to play and didn’t have a midweek-game with the Azzurri, Butterfingers 2 is benched. But Balla has big problems: Nocerino is still suspended after ‘The elbow that wasn’t’, and Bovo and Balza have the same problem after picking up too many cards. Y’all know what that means. The Arab stays where he is, constantly falling too the floor trying to find Mekka and Kjaer will replace Bovo alongside Moris. Oh yeah, and then there’s the left back position. You’ll never guess…ShitPants will get his first start of the season! Why don’t we just hand over the three points to Pasta FC before the game?

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Carrozzieri, Kjaer, Capuano; Migliaccio, Liverani, Bresciano; Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

Bologna

There is a Bologna-blog but I don’t know if they’ll be doing a preview, so it’s up to me. Yet again. Bologna is something special. A mix of mercenaries and old guys wanted nowhere else. Don’t believe me? Good, I’ll prove it. César, Di Vaio, Antonioli, Adailton, Marrazina… The perfect recipe for a one way ticket to Serie B.

But Bologna has a hero as well. Maybe not a Bologna-hero, but most definitely a Palermo-hero…

This man, boys and girls, is the reason that I eat, sleep and breathe Rosanero. I have told the story before, not going to do it again now. For those who want to know: his sweaty shirt is still hanging in my room. Davide won’t be around though, injured. Shame.

Probable Lineup:
Antonioli; Zenoni, Terzi, Moras, Lanna; Marchini, Volpi, Mudingay, Cesar; Adailton, Di Vaio

Categorical Match up

Lesser of Two Evils vs. Travelin’ man: Push. They’re both questionable goalies. The least tested will win.

Beauty & The Beast vs. Swiss Cheese: Palermo. A dared gamble, I agree. Especially seeing Cassani (dreadful game last week) and ShitPants on the flanks. I sure hope they both want to show that they can play.

Allah Ahkbar & the Damage Control 3 vs. Nothing Special: Push. Bresciano + Liverani = carnage waiting to happen. On the other side, there’s Gaby. A beast.

Make or Break vs. Second Class: Push. Our striking pair hasn’t scored in the last two games. Nothing to add there.

Final Analysis

We’re playing the second worst defense in the league. We’re playing a team that do not even come close to a one goal per game-ratio. We’re playing a relegation battler who just appointed a new coach. All the omens are against us. I don’t care if this game will be uglier than the lovechild of Fabio Liverani, Giuseppe Mascara and Franck Ribéry: I want three points. I don’t care if it ends 0-1, thanks to a 80 miles an hour freekick deflecting off Bresciano’s face, leaving the Aussie like he had just gotten ten minutes with Mike Tyson. I WANT THOSE GODDAMN, MOTHERFUCKIN’ THREE POINTS!

Form Guide

Palermo
L D W L L

Torino
L L L D D

Past Encounters

13/02/2005 Bologna – Palermo 1-1 Serie A
03/10/2004 Palermo – Bologna 1-0 Serie A

Prediction

None.

MOTM

Moris.

Remembering the good times

Sono Bello, Sono Sano, Mia Madre Mi Ha Fatto Palermitano!